System and method for operating a heating element of an appliance

ABSTRACT

A waffle maker having a base and a waffle mold supported by the base. The waffle mold has a first heating plate and a second heating plate, wherein the second heating plate is movable with respect to the first heating plate. A first heating element is arranged on the waffle mold for heating the first and second heating plates. The waffle maker further includes a sensor configured to detect motion in a detection area. A control unit of the waffle maker is in communication with the sensor and the first heating element, such that when the presence of a human is detected in the detection area, the control unit heats the first heating element to a predetermined pre-heat temperature.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein generally relate to a system and method foroperating a heating element of an appliance for preparing food orbeverages. Specifically, embodiments described herein relate to systemsand methods for operating a heating element of an appliance based upondetection of a presence of a human by a sensor.

BACKGROUND

Various appliances for preparing food or beverages include at least oneheating element that is used to heat or cook the food or beverage.Examples of such appliances include waffle makers, toasters, heatingtrays, electric kettles, panini presses, and electric grills orgriddles, among others. The appliances may be used as consumer productsin a household and may be kitchen appliances, or the appliances may beused in a commercial setting, such as in a restaurant, bar or the like.In order to quickly prepare food, it can be useful to pre-heat theappliance prior to the time the appliance is used to prepare food.However, if the heating element is active even when the appliance is notbeing used to prepare food, the appliance may consume a considerableamount of electricity and the useful life of the appliance may bereduced.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for appliances having heatingelements for preparing food that operate efficiently to allow forpre-heating of the appliance without wasting electricity.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Some embodiments described herein relate to a waffle maker that includesa base, a waffle mold supported by the base and having a first heatingplate and a second heating plate, wherein the second heating plate ismovable with respect to the first heating plate. The waffle makerfurther includes a first heating element arranged on the waffle mold forheating the first and second heating plates and a sensor configured todetect motion in a detection area. The waffle maker also includes acontrol unit in communication with the sensor and the first heatingelement, wherein when motion is detected in the detection area, thecontrol unit heats the first heating element to a predetermined pre-heattemperature.

Some embodiments described herein relate to appliance for heating foodthat includes a proximity sensor configured to detect a presence of ahuman in a detection area. The appliance further includes a firstheating plate having a first heating element, and a second heating platehaving a second heating element. The appliance further includes acontrol unit in communication with the proximity sensor and the firstand second heating elements, wherein when the presence of a human isdetected in the detection area, the control unit heats the first heatingelement to a first predetermined pre-heat temperature, and heats thesecond heating element to a second predetermined pre-heat temperaturethat is different than the first predetermined pre-heat temperature.

Some embodiments described herein relate to a method of operating aheating element of an appliance for heating food that includesmaintaining the appliance in a stand-by mode in which a heating elementis at an ambient temperature, detecting motion in a detection area by asensor of the appliance, and activating the heating element of theappliance when the motion is detected by the sensor such that theheating element is heated to a pre-heat temperature.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the waffle mold mayinclude a hinge configured to allow the waffle mold to rotate 180degrees about a longitudinal axis of the waffle maker.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the detection areamay be an area within 15 feet of the proximity sensor.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the sensor is aproximity sensor configured to detect a presence of a human in thedetection area. In some embodiments, the proximity sensor may be apassive infrared sensor or a mmwave sensor. In some embodiments, theproximity sensor may be configured to determine locations of a pluralityof humans in the detection area.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the waffle maker mayfurther include a temperature sensor configured to determine atemperature of the waffle mold.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the waffle maker mayfurther include a second heating element, wherein the first heatingelement is arranged on the first heating plate of the waffle mold, andthe second heating element is arranged on the second heating plate ofthe waffle mold.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the first heatingelement and the second heating element may be heated by the control unitsimultaneously.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, when the applianceis used to heat food, the first heating element may be heated for afirst cooking time, and the second heating element may be heated for asecond cooking time that differs from the first cooking time.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, the appliance may bea waffle maker.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, a method foroperating a heating element of an appliance may include heating theheating element to a predetermined cooking temperature that is higherthan the pre-heat temperature.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, a method foroperating a heating element of an appliance may include heating theheating element to the predetermined cooking temperature for apredetermined cooking time.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, a method foroperating a heating element of an appliance may include detecting apresence of a human by the sensor upon completion of the predeterminedcooking time, and heating the heating element to the pre-heattemperature when the presence of a human is detected.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, a method foroperating a heating element of an appliance may include adjusting atemperature of the heating element based upon a number of humans in thedetection area as detected by the sensor.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, a method foroperating a heating element of an appliance may include deactivating theheating element when the presence of a human is not detected by thesensor.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, a method foroperating a heating element of an appliance may include generating usagedata for the appliance by determining a time of use of the appliance anddetermining a number of uses of the appliance over a period of time, andactivating the heating element based at least in part on the usage data.

In any of the various embodiments discussed herein, a method foroperating a heating element of an appliance may include generating usagedata for the appliance by determining a number of humans in thedetection area by the sensor of the appliance, determining an number ofuses of the appliance and comparing the number of humans to the numberof uses of the appliance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS/FIGURES

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated herein and form a partof the specification, illustrate the present disclosure and, togetherwith the description, further serve to explain the principles thereofand to enable a person skilled in the pertinent art to make and use thesame.

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a waffle maker in a closedconfiguration according to an embodiment.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the waffle maker of FIG. 1 in an openconfiguration.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the waffle maker of FIG. 1 in a closedconfiguration.

FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of the components of an applianceaccording to embodiments.

FIG. 5 shows a schematic diagram of a detection area of an applianceaccording to an embodiment.

FIG. 6 shows a flow chart of the operation of an appliance according toan embodiment.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic block diagram of an exemplary computer systemin which embodiments may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in detail to representative embodimentsillustrated in the accompanying drawing. It should be understood thatthe following descriptions are not intended to limit the embodiments toone preferred embodiment. To the contrary, it is intended to coveralternatives, modifications, and equivalents as can be included withinthe spirit and scope of the described embodiments as defined by theclaims.

Numerous appliances include a heating element for use in preparing foodor beverage items, including waffle makers, toasters, heating trays,electric kettles, panini presses, and electric grills or griddles, amongothers. In order to use such an appliance, a user generally mustactivate or “turn on” the appliance and wait while the heating elementheats to the desired cooking temperature for preparing a particular foodor beverage item. Waiting for the heating element to heat to a cookingtemperature, which may be for example, 350° F. to 450° F., from ambientor “room” temperature may be time consuming and inconvenient. Waitingfor the appliance to heat may increase the total amount of time requiredto prepare food. If a user has limited time for preparing and eating ameal, the user may not have enough time to wait for the heating elementof the appliance to heat and to cook the food and the user may foregouse of the appliance.

In a commercial setting, it may be necessary to repeatedly use anappliance to quickly make a large quantity of food for customers.However, waiting for an appliance to heat to the desired temperature mayslow the rate at which food can be prepared. Customers may be unwillingto wait a long time for food to be prepared and may have a badexperience if their food is not prepared in a timely manner. Further,after a first food item is prepared, the heating element of manyappliances generally deactivates and cools to ambient temperature unlessthe heating element is reactivated for further use of the appliance. Asa result, if the appliance is not continually used, the heating elementmay repeatedly heat and cool, and each time the appliance is used theoperator may have to wait for the heating element to heat to the cookingtemperature to prepare additional food items. These issues mayparticularly arise when the appliance is unattended and meant for theconsumer to operate.

Some appliances may include a pre-heat setting that maintains theheating element of the appliance at a pre-heat temperature that is aboveambient temperature and which may be below the cooking temperature.While pre-heating the appliance may decrease the amount of time requiredfor the heating element to heat to the cooking temperature, maintainingthe heating element at an elevated temperature when the appliance is notin use to prepare food may waste energy and increases utility expenses.Further, the heating element and other components of the appliance canwear and degrade from repeated heating cycles. For example, cookingsurfaces of the appliance may include coatings that can erode over timefrom extended use of the appliance. Thus, the repeated heating andcooling of the heating element, and the continued operation of theheating element over time may wear out the heating element. In order tomaximize the longevity and usable life of the appliance, it may bedesirable to operate the heating element as efficiently as possible andminimize unnecessary heating and cooling of the heating element.

One example of an appliance for preparing food and having a heatingelement is a waffle maker. While the present application refers hereinprimarily to a waffle maker, the present application is not limited towaffle makers, and one of ordinary skill in the art would readilyunderstand that the principles set forth herein can be applied to any ofvarious other appliances having heating elements for preparing food orbeverages, including, but not limited to, toasters, heating trays,electric kettles, panini presses, electric grills, griddles, and similarheating appliances.

Some embodiments described herein relate to an appliance having a sensorfor detecting motion in a detection area, wherein the heating element isautomatically heated to a pre-heat temperature when motion is detectedin the detection area. In this way, the appliance is heated only when apotential user or customer is present that may wish to use theappliance. Further, the appliance may maintain the heating element atthe pre-heat temperature upon completion of a cooking cycle if motion isstill detected in the detection area by the sensor. Thus, the heatingelement may remain heated after use, rather than cooling to ambienttemperature. Further, when motion is no longer detected by the sensor,the appliance may deactivate the heating element to allow the heatingelement to cool to ambient temperature in order to conserve electricity.

Some embodiments described herein relate to a waffle maker 100 having acontrol unit 150 in communication with a sensor 180 and a heatingelement 130. When motion is detected by sensor 180, control unit 150 ofwaffle maker 100 may heat heating element 130 to a pre-heat temperature.In this manner, when waffle maker 100 is used by a consumer to preparefood, waffle maker 100 may already be pre-heated to minimize the timerequired for heating element 130 to reach the cooking temperature.Further, by activating heating element 130 only when motion is detected,waffle maker 100 may be energy efficient and may optimize the usefullife of waffle maker 100.

In some embodiments, waffle maker 100 includes a base 110 that supportsa waffle mold 140 for preparing a waffle, as shown in FIGS. 1-3. Base110 may include a drip tray 112 positioned beneath waffle mold 140 so asto collect any excess batter that spills or drips from waffle mold 140.Excess batter may be the result of a user overfilling waffle mold 140 ordue to improper pouring of the batter by a user.

Waffle mold 140 includes a first heating plate 142 and a second heatingplate 144. First heating plate 142 may be movable with respect to secondheating plate 144. Each heating plate 142, 144 defines a mold pattern146 for receiving batter and shaping the batter into a waffle. In someembodiments, first heating plate 142 can be pivotable relative to secondheating plate 144 about a hinge 149, so that waffle mold 140 may beselectively arranged in an open or closed configuration. In the openconfiguration, first heating plate 142 is pivoted away from secondheating plate 144 so that an interior of waffle mold 140 is accessibleby a user so that batter for making a waffle may be poured into moldpattern 146 of second heating plate 144. With batter poured into secondheating plate 144 of waffle mold 140, waffle mold 140 may be moved tothe closed configuration by pivoting first heating plate 142 such thatfirst and second heating plates 142, 144 are in facing engagement, asshown in FIG. 1, enclosing the batter within waffle mold 140 for cookingthe batter.

Each heating plate 142, 144 may define a mold pattern 146 to form awaffle having a desired shape and pattern, as shown in FIG. 2. Heatingplates 142, 144 may each have a shape that is circular, square,rectangular, oval, triangular, among various other shapes, and may beshaped similarly to a leaf, a flower, a heart, a state, a tree, ananimal, among other ornamental or decorative shapes. In someembodiments, mold pattern 146 may be for example a grid, such as asquare or triangular grid. Heating plates 142, 144 may be made of any ofvarious materials, including metals or ceramics. In some embodiments,each heating plate 142, 144 further includes a non-stick surface, andmay be coated with a non-stick coating, such as polytetrafluoroethylene(PTFE) or Teflon®, among others.

Waffle mold 140 may include a single heating element 130 for heating oneor both heating plates 142, 144. In some embodiments, first heatingplate 142 may include a first heating element 130 and second heatingplate 144 may include a second heating element 130, as shown in FIG. 3.Each heating element 130 may be an electrical resistance heatingelement. Heating element 130 serves to heat first and second heatingplates 142, 144 that contact the batter in order to cook the batter.Heating elements 130 can be heated to the same temperature or differenttemperatures. Further, heating elements 130 can be heated independently,and can be heated simultaneously or in an alternating fashion.

Waffle mold 140 may be rotatable about a longitudinal axis X of wafflemaker 100, as shown in FIG. 1. Waffle mold 140 may be connected to base110 by a hinge 149, and waffle mold 140 may be capable of rotating abouta hinge 149. Waffle mold 140 may be able to rotate 180 degrees aboutlongitudinal axis X In a resting position, waffle mold 140 may bearranged with first heating plate 142 positioned above second heatingplate 144. Waffle mold 140 may be rotated 180 degrees about longitudinalaxis X into a cooking position, in which second heating plate 144 ispositioned above first heating plate 142, i.e., waffle mold 140 isflipped upside-down. In this way, waffle maker 100 may evenly distributethe batter in waffle mold 140 so the resulting waffle conforms to theshape of waffle mold 140 and so that the waffle is evenly cooked on bothsides. In some embodiments, hinge 149 for pivoting heating plates 142,144 between open and closed configurations may also serve to allowwaffle mold 140 to rotate 180 degrees about the longitudinal axis Xbetween resting and cooking positions. In some embodiments, separatehinges 149 may be used.

In some embodiments, waffle mold 140 may include a handle 148 extendinglongitudinally from first and/or second heating plate 142, 144 for auser to grasp in order to pivot waffle mold 140 between the open andclosed configurations, and to provide the user with an area to grasp forrotating waffle mold 140. Handle 148 may be formed of an insulatingmaterial so that handle 148 is not heated when heating plates 142, 144are heated, allowing handle 148 to be comfortably grasped by a consumer.

Waffle maker 100 may include a power switch 105 for “turning on” wafflemaker 100. When waffle maker 100 is turned on, electricity is providedto waffle maker 100 from a power source, such as an electrical outlet ora generator, and waffle maker 100 may remain in a “stand-by mode” inwhich heating element 130 remains at ambient or room temperature. Wafflemaker 100 may remain in stand-by mode until motion is detected by asensor 180. In this way, waffle maker 100 conserves energy bymaintaining heating element 130 in an inactive state until motion isdetected, indicating a presence of a potential customer.

A control unit 150 of an appliance 100, such as a waffle maker asdescribed herein, controls operation of appliance 100. Control unit 150is in communication with a heating element(s) 130 of appliance 100, asshown for example in FIG. 4. In some embodiments, a temperature sensor152 may also be in communication with control unit 150 for determining atemperature of each heating element 130 or a heating plate 142, 144heated by a heating element 130. In embodiments having multiple heatingelements 130, each heating element 130 may include a separatetemperature sensor 152 in contact with or adjacent to the heatingelement 130. In embodiments having multiple heating elements 130 it maybe desired to maintain each heating element 130 at a differenttemperature, or to activate each heating element 130 for a differentperiod of time, as discussed in further detail below.

Control unit 150 determines the cooking time for preparing a food item.In some embodiments, the cooking time is predetermined (e.g., 2minutes). Control unit 150 may include a timer 154 for monitoring thecooking time, or control unit 150 may serve as the timer. When appliance100 is a waffle maker, cooking time may begin when waffle mold 140 isrotated 180 degrees into the cooking position. When cooking time iscomplete, an indicator light 156 of appliance 100 may illuminate toalert the user that the food is ready. Appliance 100 may alternativelyor additionally include an audio unit 158, such as a speaker, that playsan audible alert, such as a tone, when the cooking time is complete.

In some embodiments, the cooking time is not predetermined and insteadcontrol unit 150 may adjust cooking time from a default cooking timebased upon the use of appliance 100. For example, sensor 180 ofappliance 100 may be configured to detect a number of humans in adetection area, and when multiple humans are detected, control unit 150may increase the cooking temperature which allows for a correspondingdecrease in cooking time to prepare the food, allowing food to beprepared more quickly.

In some embodiments, appliance 100 includes a display 120 for displayingthe cooking time and which may indicate when the cooking time iscomplete. Display 120 may be arranged on base 110 of appliance 100, asshown for example in FIG. 1. Display 120 may display a countdown of thecooking time. In some embodiments, display 120 may be used to displayadditional instructions or to indicate the settings of appliance 100. Insome embodiments, display 120 may be an alphanumeric display that simplydisplays the cooking time. However, in some embodiments, display 120 maybe an electronic display screen, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD),light-emitting diode (LED) display, or organic-LED (OLED) display, andmay be a touch-screen display. In such embodiments, display 120 may showinstructions, the cooking time, settings, instructions, images orvideos, and usage data and statistics, among other information relatedto the operation and use of appliance 100.

Appliance 100 further includes a sensor 180 configured to detect motion.Sensor 180 is in communication with control unit 150 such that controlunit 150 receives information from sensor 180. When no motion isdetected by sensor 180, control unit 150 maintains heating element 130in an inactive state such that heating element 130 is at ambienttemperature. When motion is detected by sensor 180, control unit 150 canactivate heating element 130 so as to heat heating element 130 to apre-heat temperature. Pre-heat temperature may be predetermined or maybe adaptively selected, as will be discussed herein. When appliance 100is in use for preparing a food item, control unit 150 heats heatingelement 130 to a cooking temperature. The cooking temperature may alsobe predetermined or may be adaptively selected, as discussed herein. Thepre-heat temperature is less than the cooking temperature. For example,in one embodiment, the pre-heat temperature may be about 380° F. and thecooking temperature may be about 400° F.

In some embodiments, sensor 180 may be a proximity sensor configured todetect an object within a detection area and a distance of the objectfrom appliance 100. Sensor 180 may further be configured to detect apresence of a human in a detection area. Sensor 180 may be configured todetect a number of humans in the detection area and the locations of thehumans in the detection area.

In some embodiments, sensor 180 may be arranged on a front portion 102of appliance 100 so that sensor 180 may detect or “view” the area infront of and around appliance 100. Further, placement of sensor 180 on afront portion 102 of appliance 100 helps to ensure that sensor 180 isnot obstructed by other portions of appliance 100 or by other objectsplaced on the counter or support surface on which appliance 100 ispositioned.

In some embodiments, sensor 180 is configured to detect a presence of aconsumer with a detection area 190, as shown for example in FIG. 5.Detection area 190 may be a region around sensor 180, such as, forexample, a zone within about 10 feet, 15 feet, or 20 feet of sensor 180.Sensor 180 may be configured to detect a human within 360 degrees ofsensor 180, or may be configured to only detect humans in a narrowerrange, such as 180 degrees, 160 degrees, 140 degrees, etc., in the areain front of sensor 180. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, appliance 100may be a waffle maker positioned on a counter 410 in a breakfast area400 of a hotel. Detection area 190 may be a region within a specificdistance of sensor 180 of appliance 100 so as to only detect peoplewithin breakfast area 400. Thus, consumers 300, 301, 302 withindetection area 190 are detected by sensor 180, and consumers 303 toodistant from sensor 180 (and outside of detection area 190) are notdetected. Such consumers 303 may not be in breakfast area 400, and mayinstead be passing by breakfast area 400 through a lobby or hallway, andthus it is not desired to detect such a person for purposes of operatingheating element 130 of appliance 100. Sensor 180 may be specificallyconfigured to detect humans, including adults or children, and candifferentiate between humans and animals, such as a pet, or objects,such as furniture in detection area 190, e.g., counters 410, 420,chairs, stools, and appliances, among other objects.

In some embodiments, sensor 180 can be a passive infrared sensor (PIR).PIR sensor may detect a heat signature of a human to distinguish humansfrom other objects, such as furniture, luggage, appliances, strollers,and the like. In some embodiments, sensor 180 can be a millimeter wavesensor (“mmwave sensor”) configured to detect a silhouette of a humanbody. In some embodiments, other types of sensors may be used, such assensors based on radio detection and ranging (RADAR) or light detectionand ranging (LIDAR). One of ordinary skill in the art will appreciatethat other types of sensors can be used to identify motion or thepresence of a human in a detection area. In some embodiments, sensor 180may continually monitor for motion or the presence of humans indetection area 190, or sensor 180 may periodically monitor for motion orthe presence of humans. Further, sensor 180 can be configured todetermine the location of the human with respect to sensor 180, and maybe able to determine the location of multiple humans in detection area190.

In some embodiments, pre-heat temperature and/or cooking temperature maybe adaptively selected. In such embodiments, sensor 180 may determinethe number of humans within detection area 190. In some embodiments,control unit 150 may determine the relative locations of humans indetection area 190 based on information received from sensor 180, andmay adjust the pre-heat temperature of heating element 130 based uponthe number of consumers in detection area 190. In such embodiments, whena number of humans in detection area 190 increases, pre-heat temperatureand/or cooking temperature may be increased from default pre-heat andcooking temperatures by control unit 150. Increasing the pre-heattemperature when multiple consumers are present may reduce the wait timefor appliance 100 to reach the cooking temperature, allowing each userto prepare food more quickly. Further, increasing the cookingtemperature allows for a reduced cooking time, which may also help toincrease the rate at which the food can be prepared. Conversely, whenfew consumers are present in detection area 190 as determined by sensor180, the pre-heat temperature may be maintained at the default pre-heattemperature, or may be reduced below the default in order to minimizeenergy usage during periods in which few consumers are present.

While appliance 100 is in use for preparing food, appliance 100continues to detect motion or the presence of consumers in detectionarea 190. If humans are detected, appliance 100 may return heatingelement 130 to the pre-heat temperature upon completion of a cookingcycle. In this way, should another consumer choose to use appliance 100,appliance 100 will remain pre-heated. If no humans are detected byproximity sensor 180 upon completion of a cooking cycle, appliance 100may return to stand-by mode with no heating of heating element 130 so asto conserve energy and minimize wear of appliance 100. In someembodiments, when no motion or no humans are detected, heating element130 may remain at pre-heat temperature for a predetermined wait time,and if no humans are detected during the wait time, control unit 150 maydeactivate heating element 130.

In some embodiments, the appliance 100 may be a waffle maker having afirst heating plate 142 and a second heating plate 144. When wafflemaker 100 is used to prepare a waffle, first heating plate 142 is heatedto a first predetermined cooking temperature, and second heating plate144 is heated to a second predetermined cooking temperature. In someembodiments, the first and second predetermined cooking temperatures arethe same. However, as operation of waffle maker 100 generally requires auser to pour batter onto second heating plate 144 and subsequent closewaffle mold 140 so that first heating plate 142 also contacts batter,second heating plate 144 is in contact with batter for a longer periodof time than first heating plate 142. In order to avoid burning thebatter due to the extra time the batter is in contact with secondheating plate 144, second heating plate 144 may be heated to apredetermined cooking temperature that is lower than a cookingtemperature of first heating plate 142. Alternatively, in order toaccount for the additional time the batter is in contact with onlysecond heating plate 144 (e.g., before waffle mold 140 is closed),second heating plate 144 may be heated for a cooking time that is lessthan a cooking time of first heating plate 142. Other appliances havinga first and second heating plate 142, 144, such as a panini press or anelectric grill, may similarly heat a first heating plate 142 to adifferent temperature than a second heating plate 144, or may heatheating plates 142, 144 for a different amount of time.

In some embodiments, an appliance having a heating element such as awaffle maker 100 can be configured to collect usage data, and wafflemaker 100 may activate heating element 130 of waffle mold 140 based atleast in part on the usage data. In some embodiments, waffle maker 100may determine the usage data in real-time as waffle maker 100 is usedover a period of time, waffle maker 100 may learn through artificialintelligence, or waffle maker 100 may be pre-programmed to include usagedata. In embodiments in which waffle maker 100 determines usage data inreal-time, waffle maker 100 may record the time of each use of wafflemaker 100 and may determine the number of uses and/or frequency of useof waffle maker 100. Waffle maker 100 may determine the times of use andfrequency of use over a time period, such as over the course of one ormore days. Waffle maker 100 may identify that the highest number ofconsumers are present in a particular time period, referred to as a“peak period.” For example, when waffle maker 100 is deployed in abreakfast area of a hotel, the peak period may be from 7 AM to 9 AM. Asa result, waffle maker 100 may automatically activate heating element130 to a pre-heat temperature each day at 7 AM. Further, waffle maker100 may identify that the peak period only occurs on certain days of theweek, and thus activates heating element 130 only on those days.Alternatively, waffle maker 100 may increase the pre-heat temperatureabove a default pre-heat temperature during the peak period, and mayincrease the cooking temperature above the default cooking temperatureduring the peak period. Waffle maker 100 may also recognize that after 9AM, waffle maker 100 is infrequently used or is not used, and thuswaffle maker 100 may automatically return to stand-by mode at 9 AM,i.e., at the end of the peak period, or may set the pre-heat temperatureto the default pre-heat temperature at 9 AM. Thus, waffle maker 100 may“learn” when to activate and deactivate heating element 130 based uponusage data, and the usage data may be pre-programmed, collected overtime, or a combination thereof.

In some embodiments usage data may include a comparison of a number ofuses of appliance 100 versus a number of potential uses. In suchembodiments, sensor 180 may determine a number of humans in a detectionarea 190. The number of humans may be determined over a period of time,such as a period of one or more hours, e.g., during breakfast hours, ormay be determined over a longer time period, such as over the course ofa day. Appliance 100 may also determine each instance in which appliance100 is actually used to prepare food. For example, a waffle maker mayinclude a position sensor that detects when waffle maker is opened bylifting first heating plate 142 of waffle maker, such that each timewaffle maker is opened, one use is counted. Alternatively, as appliance100 determines the cooking time, one use may be recorded each time acooking cycle is completed. Based on this information, an appliance 100may determine the number of uses during a given period to allow theoperator of appliance 100 to determine periods of heavy use and alsoallows the operator to determine the popularity of appliance 100.Further, appliance 100 may determine the number of uses versus thenumber of humans detected in the detection area in order to determinehow many customers use the appliance versus the number of totalconsumers present. This may indicate whether appliance 100 is popularand is being used.

Further, as sensor 180 may determine the location of humans in adetection area 190, appliance 100 may also determine the paths traveledby the humans in detection area 190. Thus, location information providedto control unit 150 by sensor 180 allows for determination of trafficpatterns through detection area 190. The traffic patterns may indicatethat appliance 100 is positioned in an area that is less frequentlytrafficked by customers, which may indicate to an operator of appliance100 that it may be beneficial to relocate appliance 100 to an area thatis more frequently trafficked in order to encourage use of the appliance100 by customers. Control unit 150 may generate graphical data showingthe locations and paths of consumers through detection area 190 and maygenerate a heat map showing the locations and paths of consumers.

In some embodiments, appliance 100 may be configured to display thecollected usage data, location information, or traffic patterns on adisplay 120. Alternatively or additionally, appliance 100 may include acommunication interface configured to transmit, by wired or wirelesscommunication, the collected usage data to an external device, such as acomputer, a server, a smartphone, or the like. Appliance 100 may includea transmitter or transceiver for transmitting such information, or mayinclude a port for being placed in connection with an external device.Communication interface may also allow appliance 100 to receive usagedata so that appliance 100 can operate in accordance with usage datacollected by another appliance.

In an exemplary embodiment of the method of operating an appliancehaving a heating element 600, as shown in FIG. 6, the appliance may bepowered-on using a power switch 610. Once powered on, the applianceremains in a stand-by mode 620 with heating element or elements inactive(i.e., at room temperature). Sensor detects motion or the presence ofhumans in a detection area 630. When motion or a presence of a human isdetected by the sensor, control unit activates heating element to heatto a pre-heat temperature 640. A user may approach the appliance 100 toprepare or heat a food item. The user may operate the appliance 650 byplacing food in contact with a heating plate heated by a heatingelement. For example, when appliance is a waffle maker, a user mayoperate the waffle maker by opening the waffle mold, pouring batter intothe waffle mold, closing the waffle mold, and rotating the waffle mold180 degrees to start the cooking cycle. The heating element of theappliance is heated to the cooking temperature 660 for a cooking time.The cooking time may be displayed on a display of the appliance. Whenthe cooking time is complete, the user may remove the prepared fooditem. For example, when the appliance is a waffle maker, the user mayremove the waffle and close the waffle mold to complete use of thewaffle maker. The appliance may determine and record the time of use.The appliance may continue to detect motion or the presence of humans indetection area during and after the cooking cycle. After completing thecooking cycle, if no motion or no humans are detected in the detectionarea 670, control unit may deactivate heating element 680 so that theappliance is returned to stand-by mode until motion or the presence ofhumans is subsequently detected.

FIG. 7 illustrates an exemplary computer system 700 in whichembodiments, or portions thereof, may be implemented ascomputer-readable code. Control unit 150 as discussed herein may becomputer systems having all or some of the components of computer system700 for implementing processes discussed herein.

If programmable logic is used, such logic may execute on a commerciallyavailable processing platform or a special purpose device. One ofordinary skill in the art may appreciate that embodiments of thedisclosed subject matter can be practiced with various computer systemconfigurations, including multi-core multiprocessor systems,minicomputers, and mainframe computers, computer linked or clusteredwith distributed functions, as well as pervasive or miniature computersthat may be embedded into virtually any device.

For instance, at least one processor device and a memory may be used toimplement the above described embodiments. A processor device may be asingle processor, a plurality of processors, or combinations thereof.Processor devices may have one or more processor “cores.”

Various embodiments of the invention(s) may be implemented in terms ofthis example computer system 700. After reading this description, itwill become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art how toimplement one or more of the invention(s) using other computer systemsand/or computer architectures. Although operations may be described as asequential process, some of the operations may in fact be performed inparallel, concurrently, and/or in a distributed environment, and withprogram code stored locally or remotely for access by single ormulti-processor machines. In addition, in some embodiments the order ofoperations may be rearranged without departing from the spirit of thedisclosed subject matter.

Processor device 704 may be a special purpose or a general purposeprocessor device. As will be appreciated by persons skilled in therelevant art, processor device 704 may also be a single processor in amulti-core/multiprocessor system, such system operating alone, or in acluster of computing devices operating in a cluster or server farm.Processor device 704 is connected to a communication infrastructure 706,for example, a bus, message queue, network, or multi-coremessage-passing scheme.

Computer system 700 also includes a main memory 708, for example, randomaccess memory (RAM), and may also include a secondary memory 710.Secondary memory 710 may include, for example, a hard disk drive 712, orremovable storage drive 714. Removable storage drive 714 may include afloppy disk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a flashmemory, or the like. The removable storage drive 714 reads from and/orwrites to a removable storage unit 718 in a well-known manner. Removablestorage unit 718 may include a floppy disk, magnetic tape, optical disk,a universal serial bus (USB) drive, etc. which is read by and written toby removable storage drive 714. As will be appreciated by personsskilled in the relevant art, removable storage unit 718 includes acomputer usable storage medium having stored therein computer softwareand/or data.

Computer system 700 (optionally) includes a display interface 702 (whichcan include input and output devices such as keyboards, mice, etc.) thatforwards graphics, text, and other data from communicationinfrastructure 706 (or from a frame buffer not shown) for display ondisplay unit 730.

In alternative implementations, secondary memory 710 may include othersimilar means for allowing computer programs or other instructions to beloaded into computer system 700. Such means may include, for example, aremovable storage unit 722 and an interface 720. Examples of such meansmay include a program cartridge and cartridge interface (such as thatfound in video game devices), a removable memory chip (such as an EPROM,or PROM) and associated socket, and other removable storage units 722and interfaces 720 which allow software and data to be transferred fromthe removable storage unit 722 to computer system 700.

Computer system 700 may also include a communication interface 724.Communication interface 724 allows software and data to be transferredbetween computer system 700 and external devices. Communicationinterface 724 may include a modem, a network interface (such as anEthernet card), a communication port, a PCMCIA slot and card, or thelike. Software and data transferred via communication interface 724 maybe in the form of signals, which may be electronic, electromagnetic,optical, or other signals capable of being received by communicationinterface 724. These signals may be provided to communication interface724 via a communication path 726. Communication path 726 carries signalsand may be implemented using wire or cable, fiber optics, a phone line,a cellular phone link, an RF link or other communication channels.

In this document, the terms “computer program medium” and “computerusable medium” are used to generally refer to media such as removablestorage unit 718, removable storage unit 722, and a hard disk installedin hard disk drive 712. Computer program medium and computer usablemedium may also refer to memories, such as main memory 708 and secondarymemory 710, which may be memory semiconductors (e.g., DRAMs, etc.).

Computer programs (also called computer control logic) are stored inmain memory 708 and/or secondary memory 710. Computer programs may alsobe received via communication interface 724. Such computer programs,when executed, enable computer system 700 to implement the embodimentsas discussed herein. In particular, the computer programs, whenexecuted, enable processor device 704 to implement the processes of theembodiments discussed here. Accordingly, such computer programsrepresent controllers of the computer system 700. Where the embodimentsare implemented using software, the software may be stored in a computerprogram product and loaded into computer system 700 using removablestorage drive 714, interface 720, and hard disk drive 712, orcommunication interface 724.

Embodiments of the invention(s) also may be directed to computer programproducts comprising software stored on any computer useable medium. Suchsoftware, when executed in one or more data processing device, causes adata processing device(s) to operate as described herein. Embodiments ofthe invention(s) may employ any computer useable or readable medium.Examples of computer useable mediums include, but are not limited to,primary storage devices (e.g., any type of random access memory),secondary storage devices (e.g., hard drives, floppy disks, CD ROMS, ZIPdisks, tapes, magnetic storage devices, and optical storage devices,MEMS, nanotechnological storage device, etc.).

It is to be appreciated that the Detailed Description section, and notthe Summary and Abstract sections, is intended to be used to interpretthe claims. The Summary and Abstract sections may set forth one or morebut not all exemplary embodiments of the present invention(s) ascontemplated by the inventors, and thus, are not intended to limit thepresent invention(s) and the appended claims in any way.

The present invention has been described above with the aid offunctional building blocks illustrating the implementation of specifiedfunctions and relationships thereof. The boundaries of these functionalbuilding blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenienceof the description. Alternate boundaries can be defined so long as thespecified functions and relationships thereof are appropriatelyperformed.

The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fullyreveal the general nature of the invention(s) that others can, byapplying knowledge within the skill of the art, readily modify and/oradapt for various applications such specific embodiments, without undueexperimentation, and without departing from the general concept of thepresent invention(s). Therefore, such adaptations and modifications areintended to be within the meaning and range of equivalents of thedisclosed embodiments, based on the teaching and guidance presentedherein. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminologyherein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, suchthat the terminology or phraseology of the present specification is tobe interpreted by the skilled artisan in light of the teachings andguidance herein.

The breadth and scope of the present invention(s) should not be limitedby any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should bedefined only in accordance with the following claims and theirequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A waffle maker, comprising: a base; a waffle moldsupported by the base and having a first heating plate and a secondheating plate, wherein the second heating plate is movable with respectto the first heating plate; a first heating element arranged on thewaffle mold for heating the first and second heating plates; a sensorconfigured to detect motion in a detection area; and a control unit incommunication with the sensor and the first heating element, whereinwhen the motion is detected in the detection area, the control unitheats the first heating element to a predetermined pre-heat temperature.2. The waffle maker of claim 1, wherein the waffle mold comprises ahinge configured to allow the waffle mold to rotate 180 degrees about alongitudinal axis of the waffle maker.
 3. The waffle maker of claim 1,wherein the detection area is an area within 15 feet of the proximitysensor.
 4. The waffle maker of claim 1, wherein the sensor is aproximity sensor configured to detect a presence of a human in thedetection area.
 5. The waffle maker of claim 4, wherein the proximitysensor is a passive infrared sensor or a millimeter wave sensor.
 6. Thewaffle maker of claim 4, wherein the proximity sensor is configured todetermine locations of a plurality of humans in the detection area. 7.The waffle maker of claim 1, further comprising a temperature sensorconfigured to determine a temperature of the waffle mold.
 8. The wafflemaker of claim 1, further comprising a second heating element, whereinthe first heating element is arranged on the first heating plate of thewaffle mold, and the second heating element is arranged on the secondheating plate of the waffle mold.
 9. A method of operating a heatingelement of a waffle maker comprising a waffle mold supported by a base,wherein the waffle mold comprises a first heating plate and a secondheating plate that is movable relative to the first heating plate,wherein the heating element is arranged on the waffle mold for heatingthe first and second heating plates, the method comprising: maintainingthe waffle maker in a stand-by mode in which the heating element is atan ambient temperature; detecting motion in a detection area by a sensorof the waffle maker; and activating the heating element of the wafflemaker when the motion is detected by the sensor such that the heatingelement is heated to a pre-heat temperature.
 10. The method of claim 9,further comprising heating the heating element to a predeterminedcooking temperature that is higher than the pre-heat temperature. 11.The method of claim 10, further comprising heating the heating elementto the predetermined cooking temperature for a predetermined cookingtime.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising detecting apresence of a human by the sensor upon completion of the predeterminedcooking time, and heating the heating element to the pre-heattemperature when the presence of a human is detected.
 13. The method ofclaim 9, further comprising adjusting a temperature of the heatingelement based upon a number of humans in the detection area as detectedby the sensor.
 14. The method of claim 9, further comprisingdeactivating the heating element when the presence of a human is notdetected by the sensor.
 15. The method of claim 9, further comprising:generating usage data for the waffle maker by determining a time of useof the appliance and determining a number of uses of the waffle makerover a period of time; and activating the heating element based at leastin part on the usage data.
 16. The method of claim 9, further comprisinggenerating usage data for the waffle maker by determining a number ofhumans in the detection area by the sensor of the waffle maker;determining a number of uses of the waffle maker; and comparing thenumber of humans to the number of uses of the waffle maker.